Updated: February, 2024

Author: Office of Health Equity Integration, Vermont Department of Health

This indicator, or population measure, is part of our Healthy Vermonters 2030 data set. Read more about how this data helps us understand and improve the well-being of people in Vermont on the Healthy Vermonters 2030 webpage.

Because this data is meant to show how the health of our state changes during the decade from 2020-2030, some indicators may have very few data points for now. Keep checking back to see the progress our public health system and partners are making.

We want to see the percent of Vermont households reporting food insecurity to go down to 5% or lower by 2030. Vermont has seen this measure improve from 11% in 2011, however the measure has remained at 8% in recent years.

Our Vermont target of 5% is based on our goal to improve over our baseline in 2021 and aligns with the current benchmark of the lowest rate of food insecurity in the U.S. (5%).

Looking for more data?

• Look at previous data about the percent of households with food insecurity from our 2020 Scorecards.
• See the corresponding national Healthy People 2030 objective for reducing households with food security and hunger.

Reducing household food insecurity and hunger is a Healthy People 2030 Leading Health Indicator. It is a high priority objective to drive action toward improving overall health and well-being.

Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times due to lack of financial resources. Households that are classified as food insecure with hunger are those where adults have lowered the amount and quality of food they eat because of a lack of money. Adults who are food insecure are quite likely to be hungry on a frequent basis or are at a point where their children's food has been reduced because there is not enough money. Children who are food insecure are likely to be hungry on a regular basis and the amount of food their adult caregivers eat is also likely to be severely reduced.

According to the Food Research and Action Center, the effects of hunger on children can be detrimental to their health, well-being, and lifelong success. Children living in food insecure homes are at greater risk for poor health, nutritional deficiencies, and being obese or overweight. Childhood without enough food are also at greater risk of developmental delays, poor academic achievement, depression, and increased aggressive or hyperactive behavior.

According to the Roadmap to 2035 by the Vermont Farm to Plate Network, right now, in Vermont and the United States, there's a problem with everyone being able to get enough food. This issue comes from different populations not having the same advantages and opportunities in the past because of things like racism and discrimination. And unfortunately, this unfair treatment still exists in our society today. Some people have a harder time getting enough food because of where they live, their health, how much money they have, their race, or their sexual orientation. In Vermont, the people who are most affected are those who are Black, Indigenous, other People of color, or who identify as LGBTQ+, and others. Also, people living in rural areas, those who are poor, or people with disabilities are populations at risk.

The Vermont Farm to Plate Network reminds us that “it is unacceptable for any person to be food insecure”. It's especially unfair when certain groups of people are more likely to be food insecure than others. To fix this problem in Vermont, we need to have a plan which looks at all the different challenges faced by various communities and groups of people.

In order to reduce food insecurity and improve health, we need to increase access to affordable, high quality food, especially for populations with low incomes. Some successful strategies in Vermont include outreach to promote benefits programs, farmers markets, community-supported agriculture programs, and farm-to-school initiatives. Increasing food security for all should focus on availability and affordability of food, as well as making food systems sustainable, and improving the overall economic situation for all.

Benefits for people and households

• One strategy to continue improving food access is to make sure people are taking advantage of federal food benefit programs. These programs include 3SquaresVT (our Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—SNAP), WIC (Women, Infants, Children), school meals (in school and out-of-school time), and childcare meal programs.
• The U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program (3Squares VT) gives benefits to low-income households to purchase nutritious food from some retailers. These benefits help people to afford healthy food choices. The SNAP program in Vermont is managed by the Department of Health with funding from the Department for Children and Families
• Funding from the SNAP program also provides grants to community-based organizations to provide education, and help food shelves, childcare centers, and schools improve rules and make positive changes to their food programs. The goal of these changes is to increase access and encourage people to eat healthy foods.

Community support and collaboration

• The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promotes several strategies for communities to focus on healthy eating and active living. These include working with partners like childcare providers and schools, where the majority of children in Vermont spend time. They also include working with workplaces to encourage and support healthy eating for adults. There are a lot of resources for nutrition and food access in Vermont for individuals and communities.
• Other programs from the Department of Health have created or expanded community gardens, farmers markets, and local food hubs. These are places that collect and provide healthy food to food shelves, schools and other local organizations serving people who are at risk of being food insecure. You can learn more and find helpful resources on the Health Department webpage Cities & Towns Support Whole Community Health.
• The Vermont Department of Health also supports the Vermont Nutrition Education Committee (VNEC). This is a group of people who meet regularly to discuss, plan, and improve coordination of food access activities across the state. This group also collaborates with the Farm to Plate Food Access Cross Cutting Team, and the Farm to School Network. Learn more about these groups and other resources on the Nutrition and Food Access Resources in Vermont webpage.

The data for this indicator comes from the Current Population Survey (CPS), Food Security Supplement (FSS), which is overseen by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This survey is taken by people 16 and older in the U.S. who are civilians and not institutionalized. Over the course of the FSS survey period, about 1 in every 250 Vermont households are surveyed.

To provide individual state measurements, the CPS-FSS combines 3-years of data to ensure results can be correctly interpreted for Vermont.